“I am deeply saddened by the tragedy in Wisconsin and my heart goes out to the families of those affected by this terrible act,” Knudsen said in a prepared statement. A spokeswoman made it clear that he would not be granting media interviews on the topic.

David Morales, an administrator at Creepypasta, the web community for paranormal tales where the 12-year-old girls charged with the attempted murder had read about Slender Man, defended his site. He stressed its minimum age requirement (13) and noted that its imaginative works are clearly labeled as such.

“We are not teaching children to believe in a fictional monster, nor are we teaching them to be violent,” Morales wrote in an emailed statement, according to the Associated Press. “Overall, the community has deep condolences to the family of the victim and all those who were involved.”

The victim of the shocking crime remains hospitalized. The two suspects are to be tried as adults, with each facing up to 65 years in prison.

Miles Klee is a novelist and web culture reporter. The former editor of the Daily Dot’s Unclick section, Klee’s essays, satire, and fiction have appeared in Lapham’s Quarterly, Vanity Fair, 3:AM, Salon, the Awl, the New York Observer, the Millions, and the Village Voice. He's the author of two odd books of fiction, 'Ivyland' and 'True False.'